Can I restore a 32bit image to a 64 bit o/s?

I have a client whose older Workstation 390 was "kidnapped" by windows 10, and gave him a 32 bit version instead of the 64 bit Windows 7 it replaced. I'm thinking it was because the PC only had 2 gigs of RAM. Now, the problem is the newer version of his CAD software requires a 64 bit O/S. Is there a way to further upgrade things to 64 bit, or do I have to find & backup the program files themselves and re-format/re-install a 64 bit O/S?

while i wait, i'm ordering him a couple more gigs of RAM :)

thanks for any ideas!
berbes

No, there's no way to upgrade a 32-bit system to 64-bit. It has to be a clean install, I'm afraid. You'll have to reinstall all the software, so make sure you have the install media and keys before you start. The good news is that as this machine has apparently been upgraded from 7 to 10 it should have a digital licence tied to its hardware on the Microsoft activation servers. You can skip entering a key for Windows and it should activate automatically, provided you install the same edition (Home or Pro).

It shouldn't have been possible for Windows 10 to 'upgrade' 64-bit Win 7 to 32-bit Win 10 either. 2Gb RAM was (just) enough for 64-bit Win 10, though it may have been a bit slow. I suspect your client may have subsequently done a clean install of 32-bit to make it a faster system.

I appreciate your knowledge & time, Bree. Thank you.

@Bree is correct, it is impossible to upgrade 64-bit Windows 7 to 32-bit Windows 10, just as it is impossible to upgrade 32-bit Windows 10 to 64-bit.